A disaster, whether natural or man-made, may strike at any time. Natural or man-made disasters such as, e.g., earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, explosions, structural failures, or other similar disasters, often cause considerable damage to buildings or other infrastructure. For example, a building may totally or partially collapse, walls may fall in, debris or rubble may accumulate, entry points may become blocked, or other similar damage may occur. As a result of this damage, individuals in the area may become trapped and in need of rescue.
Emergency responders often provide search and rescue services in the event of a disaster. For example, they may search the disaster area for voids or pockets in the debris or rubble where survivors may be trapped, e.g., due to the collapse of a wall or other infrastructure, or where survivors may have hidden such as under desks, in bath tubs, in stairwells, in a basement, etc.
Emergency responders typically attempt to find survivors during search and rescue operations in a variety of different ways. For example, they may visually inspect the disaster area in an attempt to spot survivors in the debris or rubble, e.g., by seeing an arm or a leg, or by calling out to survivors to identify their locations. They may also utilize various types of technology during search and rescue operations. For example, the emergency responders may feed a camera on the end of a flexible pole into the collapsed building or other debris or rubble that may be used to determine whether there are any survivors in that area and to view the structural stability of the remaining portion of the building. Emergency responders may also use sound location devices that are connected to a microphone system to find survivors. For example, the sound location device may bang on the debris or rubble and if survivors tap back or call out for help, they may be found and assisted. Emergency responders may also utilize thermal image camera systems in an attempt to identify areas of body heat in the debris or rubble which may indicate the presence of a survivor. Carbon dioxide analyzers may also be used to detect individuals that may be unconscious but still breathing. In some cases, trained sniffer dogs may also be employed to find survivors.